Team Building 101
by kphillips
Summary: Mulder and Scully meet for the first time at a team building seminar. Things get strange and the two agents are called upon to handle the situation and save the day.
1. Welcome Aboard

Disclaimer: I don't own Mulder, Scully or any of the X-file characters - I just like to play with them.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Keywords: Mulder/Scully adventure with a bit of romance thrown in  
  
Feedback: Would love to hear what you think. xfstories@yahoo.com.  
  
Archive: Anywhere you would like. Just give me credit and let me know.  
  
Summary: Both Mulder and Scully are sent to attend a team building seminar in the middle of Pennsylvania. Events turn strange and the people attending turn to Mulder and Scully to figure out what is happening and to get them out of there safely. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Chapter one - All Aboard!  
  
Friday afternoon Aboard a US Airways Flight  
  
Special Agent Fox Mulder looked out the window of the plane as it took off from Dullas Airport. Once again he questioned himself about how he got stuck going out to Pennsylvania to be part of a team building experiment the FBI was running.  
  
His superior had explained it to him the day before - the FBI was considering using team building techniques in its many bureaus around the country but before signing a contract with the company, it wanted to make sure that the team building concept really worked.  
  
So each region was sending a pair of agents to Pennsylvania to see how they bonded together. None of the agents knew it each so the FBI assumed if these agents bonded well together then agents working within the same regional office would bond even better.  
  
It was decided that someone from the Violent Crimes Unit and someone from Quantico would represent the greater Washington area. Mulder was picked because he was the only single, unattached guy in the VCU. Some of the other agents were willing to go, but their spouses and/or significant others weren't so willing. Too worried about office romances blooming, Mulder thought as he grumpily accepted the assignment.  
  
Mulder quickly glanced over the list of participants he had received from his superior that morning. He didn't recognize any of the names - not even the name of Dana Scully, the young up-and-coming pathologist out of Quantico.  
  
He didn't recognize her name, but a few of the guys in his unit did.  
  
"Dana Scully?" one of them said after browsing the list "She is a hot one"  
  
"Hot to look at, yeah" agreed another one "but she can turn your balls into ice cubes with just one look"  
  
Mulder had looked at the skeptically and they continued "They call her the Ice Queen Mulder. I don't think even your considerable charms could melt her. But I am sure you will have fun trying. After all, you have gone through most of the women in our building - time for some fresh stock."  
  
Mulder smiled to himself thinking of the ribbing the guys in the unit had given him. Being one of the only truly single guys, they enjoyed living vicariously through him and were always wanting to find out the gory details of his rather active social life.  
  
Mulder had no plans of seducing this Dana Scully or any other female on this assignment, but he was curious to meet her just the same.  
  
He closed his eyes and tried to catch some sleep.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Friday afternoon Aboard an Amtrak train  
  
Dana Scully closed her laptop and rubbed her eyes. She had just finished her field report on the autopsy she had performed in New York City. The body was severely mutilated and the NY office had requested her assistance.  
  
She was now on a train bound for Pennsylvania to attend a team building seminar. Scully was not looking forward to spending a week with a bunch of strangers trying to bond with them.  
  
She would much rather spend a quiet weekend with her mother and uneventful week teaching at Quantico but that was not meant to be. Her superior had tried to convince her that she should feel honored to be selected to participate in the trial running of the teaming building seminar.  
  
But she knew better. She was pretty sure she was chosen because of her infamous status of being the 'Ice Queen'. If she could warm up to people and bond with them within a week, then anyone could.  
  
Of course, anyone who really knew Dana Scully knew her to be a warm, sensitive person who was always available when she was needed. But to those who only knew her professionally, she was all business and rarely showed her lighter side. A woman who had actually risen to her position based on her brains and talent and not by sleeping with the right person.  
  
Scully heard her phone ringing and answered it quickly. "Scully"  
  
"Hey Dana, it's me" Scully immediately recognized the voice of her good friend Rachel who also worked in the pathology department.  
  
"Hey Rach, what's up"  
  
"I got my hands on a list of the people attending that boring seminar you are stuck going to"  
  
"And"  
  
"And, it might not be as boring as we thought"  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"Well, you remember that really cute agent from the VCU I was telling you about?"  
  
"You mean Spooky Mulder, the master of the one night stand?"  
  
"Yup and master is the key word my friend. From what I have heard, he is the best thing since sliced bread."  
  
"And how is this important to me?"  
  
"Come on Dana, we both know that you could really use a good"  
  
"Enough Rach. I am not going to this seminar looking for love. I am going to grin and bear and count the days until I am set free."  
  
"Too bad. I would have loved to have gotten on first hand account on exactly what he does with his."  
  
"Goodbye Rachel. I will call you when I am released" and Scully hung up the phone smiling at her hopelessly romantic friend.  
  
"The alien chaser and the Ice Queen" she muttered to herself. "Now that would be a sight to see.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's note: this is the first time I have attempted to write a story in bits and pieces. Would love any feedback and opinions on what you would like to see happen next. 


	2. Welcome everyone!

Chapter two - Welcome everyone!  
  
3pm Teams Are Us Facility  
  
Fox Mulder tried not to stare at the beautiful and incredibly buxom woman who was greeting the seminar's participants in the foyer of the large house that would be their home for the next week.  
  
She had to be close to six feet tall with long wavy blonde hair and an incredibly small waist that only enhanced the size of her chest.  
  
Mulder, tried keeping his eyes on her large brown ones as he approached her.  
  
"Good afternoon. Welcome. I am so glad you are here!" the woman said as she quite obviously gave Mulder the once over. "My name is Colleen and I will be your moderator for the next week."  
  
Mulder held out his hand for her to shake "Fox Mulder"  
  
"Welcome Fox" Colleen said after giving him the once over once again. "I am so glad you could make it. You are going to be in room 13. Up the stairs and to the left. Why don't you go upstairs and settle in. We will be meeting in the lounge around 4pm."  
  
"Thank you" Mulder said taking the key from her hand. She brushed her fingers against his a bit more than necessary leaving Mulder the idea that she would be more than happy to give him a more personal welcome later in the day.  
  
Mulder was just reaching the top of the stairs when the main door opened again and a petite redhead entered the building. Mulder wasn't sure why, but the mere sight of her stopped him in his tracks.  
  
It wasn't her appearance that stopped him cold, although she was a very attractive woman, but her manner. It reeked of confidence and self assurance - two traits that Mulder admired since he often seemed to lack them in himself.  
  
The redhead walked over to the table and was greeted warmly by Colleen. Mulder strained to hear her name.  
  
"Dana Scully" she said.  
  
"So that is the famous Dana Scully" Mulder thought to himself and he watched Scully take the key from Colleen and start towards the stairs.  
  
He knew that he probably looked a bit odd standing there on the stairs watching her, but she didn't look up and notice him until she was halfway up the stairs.  
  
There eyes met briefly and both stopped. "Hi" Mulder said putting down his bag and extending his hand to her "Fox Mulder, Washington Bureau."  
  
Scully smiled slowly as she recognized the name. Rachel would be thrilled to know that Mulder was standing only a few feet from her. "Dana Scully, Quantico"  
  
They shook hands briefly and climbed the remainder of the stairs together in silence. They both turned left and weren't surprised that they were in adjoining rooms since they had checked in one after the other.  
  
"See you at 4" Mulder said as he opened his door and walked into his room.  
  
Scully just smiled and went into her own room.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
He sat quietly in his car watching the FBI personnel straggle into the facility. He lit another cigarette and blew out the smoke slowly, deliberately.  
  
As he watched he thought about how much he hated the FBI. The FBI had been responsible for catching him and sending him away to prison for 10 long years.  
  
Sure he had killed his girlfriend in cold blood, but she had deserved it. She had been unfaithful to him by smiling at other men. She had denied everything but he knew the truth and he quietly and quickly shot her through the head.  
  
He had escaped briefly only to be profiled and brought in by the Violent Crimes Unit of the FBI. He had been tried and convicted and sent away to prison.  
  
There he was the perfect inmate knowing that by behaving himself then, he could avenge his capture that much earlier. He had been released on parole just a couple of weeks before and his mother had gotten him a job in the kitchen of a facility specializing in team building.  
  
He could not believe his luck, when he was told that a bunch of FBI agents would be there for a whole week.  
  
"You are all just sitting ducks" Chip Tyler said to himself and he watched another person entering the building. "I will make you sorry. I will make you all very sorry."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Author's note: would love any/all suggestions on how this story should proceed. 


	3. Getting to know you

Chapter three - Getting To Know You  
  
Colleen smoothed her linen pants and prepared herself for the first group meeting of the session. She was a woman who truly enjoyed her work. Not only was she a firm believer in the team building concept and the successful career she had created promoting it, but she loved meeting new people and getting to know them - the more personally the better.  
  
Colleen had an active sex drive and found that it was a rare week when she didn't establish a close and personal relationship with a least participant. Man or woman. Alone or together it didn't matter to Colleen - as long as it was someone different.  
  
She greeted each of the 12 participants warmly as they entered the room - checking them out even as she pointed them towards the bar.  
  
Of the 12, only two were actually FBI field agents, the rest consisted of a wide array of administrative posts - none of which had seen any real 'action'.  
  
Colleen considered herself an expert on reading people and had an uncanny knack of matching people up. This not only helped her in her own personal quests, but had helped many a corporation build effective teams.  
  
Colleen sat back and watched as the participants got themselves and drink and awkwardly began to mingle. She would help them break the ice soon enough, but she always enjoyed seeing how different people would react in this situation.  
  
Some would concentrate solely on the stirring of their drink, some would down their drinks quickly trying to find the courage they lacked in their glasses and some would make the best of it and go around introducing themselves.  
  
It appeared that most of the people in this group lacked the courage to introduce themselves. Colleen wasn't surprised that it was the two field agents - who had experience in speaking with strangers - that mingled with the most ease.  
  
Colleen watched Mulder and Scully as they attempted to make small take with those people standing around them. She knew from their body language when they arrived that neither of them was very eager about excepting this assignment, but she could also tell that they were both trying to make the best of it.  
  
She knew that even though they lacked the rank of some of the other participants, that they would emerge the leaders of the group. The question was whether or not she would put them together or keep them apart.  
  
"Good evening everyone" Colleen said getting everyone's attention. "Why don't you all have a seat and we will get started"  
  
There was some mumbling in the group as they all took a seat.  
  
Colleen remained standing and walked around the room as she gave her standard welcoming speech.  
  
She explained to them that basically for the next week they would be in total isolation. That after dinner tonight they would be asked to turn in all their computer, cell phones and any other means of communication they had with them.  
  
The purpose of this, she explained, was to encourage them to interact with each other and rely on each other for entertainment.  
  
There was also a ban on television and radio and the only music allowed was in the common room. This too was to keep people from hiding in their rooms.  
  
Every night there would be a chance to play a variety of card or board games.  
  
Then she explained to them her favorite rule. "Please remember that there is no rank here. We are all the same. The rules that govern your office do not apply here. We only ask that you respect each other and treat each other kindly. We also ask you to respect the privacy of your fellow participants. Anything that happens up here, stays up here."  
  
Colleen looked at Mulder and gave him a wink. "It doesn't become talk around the water cooler. Do we all agree to these rules."  
  
Everyone agreed and Colleen proceeded to sit down and begin the introductions.  
  
"As you know, my name is Colleen and I am the founder of this organization" she paused and motioned for the man on her left to continue.  
  
All the participants briefly stated their names and where they were from leaving out exactly what they did for the Bureau. Of the twelve people attending, four were from California, two from Washington DC, two from Chicago, two from Minnesota and two from Louisiana.  
  
They had just finished their introductions when their waiter, who introduced himself as Chip, came into the room and told them it was time for them to eat.  
  
They all entered the dining room with Colleen making sure she was sitting as close to Mulder as possible.  
  
Chip watched as the 13 people dove into their food and began to eat. He looked at them carefully trying to decide just how to handle things. He knew he would have to wait until they surrendered all of their phones to him and he officially notified the phone company to terminate their service for the week.  
  
He thought of the irony that he, in his little cabin a mile or so away, would be their only source of communication with the outside world. Too bad for them, that none of them would make it to his cabin in good enough shape to call anyone.  
  
But who would be first? The plump man who came from Southern California who called himself Ray? The middle aged woman from Chicago named Sheila or the hot little redhead named Dana - he might do something special to her before he killed her.  
  
Mulder enjoyed his dinner and the conversation with those around him but still felt a bit on edge. He looked at his fellow participants as he sipped his coffee later in the lounge.  
  
They all seemed harmless enough - except for maybe Colleen who was making it quite clear about her intentions towards him - but he still felt something was wrong.  
  
He shook his head and forced himself to relax as Colleen started up the old jukebox the stood in the corner of the lounge. An old rock and roll standard started and she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dance floor, encouraging the others to do the same.  
  
It took another half hour or so, along with several nightcaps, to get everyone dancing on the floor. Dana surprised herself when George, a man who barely stood taller than her, grabbed her hand and whisked her out on the dance floor.  
  
She didn't want to admit it, but she was having fun. That was until Colleen decided to try her hand at match making to liven up the evening a bit.  
  
"Okay everyone. I am going to match you up with someone for your next dance and I want no complaints." Everyone groaned a bit worried about who would end up with who, but Colleen was an expert and quickly had put together couples who actually looked good together.  
  
Colleen wanted Mulder for herself but couldn't help but wonder how he would be with the more serious Agent Scully. Who knew, if she played her cards right maybe she could get them both.  
  
Mulder and Scully were the last two paired up and they looked at each other and smiled a bit.  
  
Colleen walked over to the jukebox and immediately played another classic rock and roll song - only this one was very slow and very long.  
  
All the couples paused a bit but then began to dance. Colleen looking on with satisfaction as she realized that she had once done a pretty good job of matching people up.  
  
Mulder gallantly took Scully's hand and they slowly wound their way around the dance floor. For the longest time neither of them said a word - they were just enjoying the moment.  
  
Mulder pulled Scully a bit closer and looked down at her just as she was looking up at her. He smiled.  
  
"Dana, right?" she nodded. "I don't know about you, but this is not how I envisioned this to be."  
  
"Me either. Now I know why they didn't want to send any married people up here."  
  
"I would imagine they will change their routine a bit when Blevins does it"  
  
Scully laughed picturing her boss swaying around the room with some stranger. "I imagine the onsite version of this is less personal"  
  
They became silent again swaying gently with the music until it stopped and Colleen announced that it was time for bed.  
  
"I think y'all have had enough fun for tonight. Breakfast is at 8 - dress to spend sometime outdoors. Oh and, don't forget to hand in your phones and computers to Chip before going to bed."  
  
Chip sat quietly in the foyer accepting phones and computers until the last person had gone to bed. He chatted briefly with each of them and knew, without a doubt, who his first victim would be as he got in his car and drove to his cabin.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Author's note - would love any and all feedback and suggestions on how to proceed 


	4. Time To Get Up

Chapter four - Time To Get Up  
  
7am Mulder's room  
  
Mulder rubbed his eyes and looked at his clock. It was 7am and he would have to hurry if he was going to make it down to breakfast on time.  
  
He paused before getting out of bed realizing that he had actually gotten a good night's sleep. Sleeping soundly was not something that Fox Mulder did very often so he savored the feeling of actually feeling rested.  
  
He walked over to the window and was surprised to see that it had begun to snow at a pretty good clip. He knew that snow in the mountains in early April was not that unusual, but he had been hoping for some nice spring- like weather. Luckily he had thought to pack a winter jacket.  
  
Mulder stepped into the shower and began to think about how the seminar was going so far. He surprised himself when he realized that so far, it hadn't been so bad.  
  
The people attending seemed to all be relatively intelligent and basically nice people to hang with. Colleen was obviously interested in him, but despite her obvious good looks and over abundant attention towards him, he found himself thinking about Dana Scully more.  
  
"She doesn't seem so frigid to me" Mulder thought to himself as he dried off. He remembered how nice it was dancing with her the night before and scolded himself for having unpure thoughts about her.  
  
"I am as bad as the guys in the office" he thought as he reached for a flannel shirt.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
6:30am Scully's room  
  
Scully groaned as she finished her last sit up. She usually didn't work out when out on assignment, but she felt a lot of pent up energy this morning and wanted to burn it off before showering and heading down to breakfast.  
  
She had slept like a log the night before barely moving in her sleep. She had dreamt though and was embarrassed to think about the people who had occupied her dreams.  
  
She had actually dreamt about the waiter Chip. In her dream, he was obsessed by her and began following her around everywhere finally trapping her in a corner and trying, unsuccessfully, to seduce her. When she rejected him he had turned angry and appeared about ready to hurt her physically when Ray and Fox had stumbled upon them.  
  
Both men had seen the look in his eye and had calmly thrown Chip out of the house.  
  
"Great" Scully thought to herself and she walked over to the window to check out the weather "I spend years trying to ensure my independence and within a day of being here, I find myself subconsciously being rescued by men. I can just imagine what Rachel would say about that dream."  
  
Scully gazed out the window and was happy to see the snow falling. She had checked the weather report before leaving New York City and was not surprised to see it snowing. She was a bit surprised to see how quickly the snow was coming down. Apparently they were in for more than the light dusting that the Weather Channel had predicted.  
  
Scully was unconcerned though. She loved the snow and was looking forward to spending some time outside. It would be a pleasant change after spending the last couple of days cooped up in an autopsy bay.  
  
She stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the shower. While washing herself, she reviewed the people she had met the day before. All seemed very nice but only one kept sticking out in her mind. Fox Mulder. "Guess Rachel was right about him being a chick magnet" she thought to herself as she rinsed off her hair. "Well, I don't intend to be another notch on his bedpost" she told herself even as she was thinking about just how good looking Mulder was.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
8am The dining room  
  
Mulder was sipping a cup of coffee talking to Colleen as the other participants began to straggle into the room. In general, they appeared to be all pretty well rested. The result, he assumed of not being allowed to log onto their computers or watch TV all night.  
  
Colleen was dressed in skin tight jeans and a sweater that caught the attention of not only Mulder but every other person in the room. Colleen appreciated the attention but kept her flirting to a minimum. There would be plenty of time for that latter in the day.  
  
"Good morning everyone! The breakfast buffet is just about set up. Grab a plate, fill it up and take a seat. Chip will be around with coffee and juice shortly."  
  
Scully thought with amusement that the people in the room were acting like they hadn't eaten in days as they descended upon the buffet. The mountain air had apparently given everyone a good appetite.  
  
They all grabbed their food and started sitting down at the table. Unlike the night before, they were all relaxed and began chatting with each other easily.  
  
They were so wrapped up in their own conversations that they didn't notice Chip or the fact that he quietly had slipped something into a couple glasses of juice.  
  
He smiled to himself as he silently served them. Tonight would prove to be very interesting. "Too bad" he thought to himself "that I will be safely home when all the fun starts."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Author's notes: This is the first time I have written a piece by chapter so I am hoping for lots of feedback on how to continue. 


	5. Outside everyone

Chapter five - Outside Everybody!  
  
Colleen let everyone linger a while over their coffee before rising from her seat and getting their attention.  
  
"Okay everyone - we are going to go outside and have some fun"  
  
Her statement was greeted by a mixture of smiles and groans - especially from the people hailing from California.  
  
"For those of you who aren't prepared for this kind of weather, we have a variety of snow gear for you to borrow. Just check the closet out in the hallway. Now get going - I want to see everyone outside in 10 minutes."  
  
A collective groan went up from the group as they separated themselves from their coffee and headed back to their rooms to change. Scully was looking forward to playing in the snow since it was something she rarely got to do as a child while Mulder rolled his eyes at the mere thought of it all.  
  
Colleen greeted the group outside wearing a skin-tight hot pink snowsuit and a hat that looked like a huge ball of white fur. She eagerly waited for Mulder to appear and quickly linked her arm through his.  
  
"Fox don't you just love walking around in the snow. It is just so peaceful, isn't it?"  
  
Mulder nodded feeling a combination of embarrassment and arousal when he realized that Colleen was stepping up her flirtation with him. "Perhaps later, I could show you around some of the trails?"  
  
Mulder nodded again trying to keep the image of him slowly unzipping Colleen's snowsuit out of his mind.  
  
Colleen saw the reaction she was looking for and quickly smiled and turned her attention to the other members of the group who were huddled around the steps of the house.  
  
"Okay everyone - we are going to be splitting into two groups today and will be having a series of competitions. Since it is snowing so hard today, Chip's mother won't be coming out to cook for us - so whichever team looses today gets stuck doing all the cooking and all the clean up."  
  
Colleen smiled and continued "Fox will head up team number one and Dana will head up team number two."  
  
Colleen had seen the signs of sparks flying between the two of them the night before and there was no way she was letting Mulder get close to Scully until she had her chance with him.  
  
"Now I want the rest of you to get in a line" and after they did, she proceeded to count 'one, two, one, two' until each of them had been assigned a group.  
  
"The first competition will be to see who makes the best snowman. I will be the judge. You have 30 minutes."  
  
Everyone quickly broke into two groups and the chatter began. Unfortunately for Mulder, he seemed to have ended up with most of the folks from California and they were absolutely clueless about making snowmen.  
  
"It's really pretty easy" Mulder tried to explain to them "you just make big balls of snow and decorate them"  
  
"How do you make balls of snow" said Ray looking totally perplexed.  
  
Mulder shook his head and bent down to grab some snow and pack in into a little ball. He slowly rolled it along the ground grinning at the look on Ray's face as the ball increased in size.  
  
"We have to make three balls each increasing in size and then we decide how to dress it up."  
  
Ray smiled and started rolling his own ball.  
  
Scully was lucky to have all the snowmen experts on her team. Within minutes they had formed three perfectly shaped balls and had them positioned on top of each other.  
  
Scully looked at their work and smiled at her teammates. She was actually having fun. "Okay guys, how are we going to dress this sucker up?"  
  
Amanda, a basically shy girl out of Chicago said "I think we should make her a girl and dress her up accordingly. I know just the thing"  
  
She ran back into the house and quickly reappeared holding a silk scarf, high heels and what looked like a sexy undergarments. "Luckily for us " she said laughing "this snowwoman and I have pretty much the same figure"  
  
She quickly proceeded to place lacy underwear on the snowman and wrapped its neck with a silk scarf.  
  
The others on their team got into the action and quickly rummaged through their rooms looking for appropriate items to decorate their snowwoman. Only Scully remained outside.  
  
Apparently she was the only woman who had packed nothing but practical attire for this trip.  
  
It seemed like no time at all until Colleen blew her whistle indicating that the half hour was up.  
  
Everyone gathered again by the stairs of the house and the followed Colleen as she inspected both snowmen.  
  
Mulder found himself standing right next to Scully and even though her simple parka was nothing in comparison to Colleen's snowsuit, he couldn't help but think how sexy she looked with her flushed cheeks and the tip of her nose being ever so slightly red.  
  
Scully must have felt his gaze upon her because she looked up when they approached Mulder's snowman.  
  
"Funny" she said "if I didn't know better, I would say that your snowman looked almost alien. Very spooky, don't you think"  
  
Mulder picked up on her subtle use of his nickname and smiled back at her "So maybe I influenced the design just a little bit"  
  
Mulder's team had indeed built a snowman resembling an alien. It wasn't decorated at all but was more of a snow sculpture with carved out eyes that looked so intense that it almost gave one chills.  
  
"Very interesting concept" Colleen laughed as she walked around the snowman. "Can't say I have ever seen one quite like that before"  
  
The group went over to see Scully's team effort. The sight of the snowwoman dressed like she was going to entertain a gentleman in her room had everyone laughing hysterically.  
  
It was no contest. The snowwoman won hands down.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The next contest consisted over a tug of war across a pit of muddy, snowy goop that Colleen mixed up using kitty litter, hot water and snow.  
  
This time Mulder's team was triumphant as he team had several large bodies on it.  
  
Scully's team did not give up without a fight and more than once their eyes met as they were cheering themselves and their teammates on.  
  
Colleen waited until Scully's team had removed itself from the pit of goop before yelling "SNOWBALL FIGHT. Last team standing wins."  
  
That got everyone going and within second snowballs were flying and people were laughing. There was no honor in this war as one team member promptly dumped snow over the head of another team member.  
  
Colleen watched from the sidelines and could easily pick out the two field agents from the rest of the gang. They were the only ones who thought of seeking cover and had lethal aim.  
  
They were also both determined to win.  
  
One by one the other participants dropped out - having had enough they stood by the side and watch their two leaders fight it out.  
  
Again and again Mulder shot at Scully and Scully returned his fire. Both took multiple hits but neither one seemed to be willing to give an inch.  
  
Both felt their attraction towards the other growing and both try to deny the feeling.  
  
So they just kept throwing snowballs at each other.  
  
Colleen realized that this battle could last for days and ordered them both to stop.  
  
"Okay you two. We are going to have sudden death. I want you both to make 5 snowballs and separate yourselves by 10 paces. You will then take turns throwing snowballs at each other. You can duck and move but no moving of feet. Whoever gets hit the least wins. Agreed?"  
  
"Agreed" they both said together. They were having the time of their lives, but to look at them you would think they were meeting a dawn to dual.  
  
They paced off the distance and Mulder took the first shot at Scully. Being short was a definite advantage and Scully easily dodged his shot much to the joy of her teammates that were cheering her on.  
  
Then it was her turn to take a shot at Mulder and she nailed him right in the shoulder. He, in turned, was taunted by his teammates.  
  
As so it went, back and forth. Mulder managed to hit Scully twice while Scully got him three times. She won.  
  
"Now shake hands" Colleen said as the two opponents continued to stare each other down.  
  
They approached quickly and were amazed at the small electric shock that seemed to race through their bodies as their hands touched.  
  
"Nice job Dana. Are you always so good at bringing down an opponent?"  
  
Scully just smiled at him. "Usually. I hope you have better luck in the field Fox than you did here."  
  
Mulder smiled at her "I use a variety of tactics in the field"  
  
"Oh yeah, like what?"  
  
"Like this" and with that Mulder picked up Scully and easily deposited her headfirst into a snow bank. "Unorthodoxed, but it works" he said to his cheering teammates.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Thanks for all the great feedback. It really helps keep me going. 


	6. Are we having fun yet?

Chapter Six - Are We Having Fun Yet?  
  
Mulder stood in the middle of his room drying himself off after taking a long hot shower. He hated to admit it to himself, but he was actually enjoying himself.  
  
Colleen was a bit of a flirt, but he had to admit to himself that her tactics appeared to be working. He was actually feeling a certain sense of closeness to several people he had only met the day before.  
  
Mulder's thoughts were broken by a soft knock on the door. Mulder quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the door.  
  
There stood Colleen in a pair of tight pants and an even tighter sweater.  
  
"Sorry to bother you Fox, but I always get a bit bored when the group takes a break." She blatantly looked down at the towel around his waist "I was hoping you could help me stay occupied until we all meet up for afternoon tea."  
  
Mulder tried to remember to breathe as Colleen slowly walked over to him and began to draw slow circles on his bare chest with her fingernail.  
  
"You had a tough battle this morning, Fox. I think you could use a nice long massage"  
  
Mulder just stood there as Colleen hooked one finger underneath the edge of his towel and slowly began to work it towards the knot holding it together.  
  
She had just about reached her destination when the silence was broken by a blood curdling scream.  
  
Mulder immediately pushed hand away and grabbed his sweatpants. He was out the door and down the stairs before Colleen knew what hit her.  
  
"Damn" she thought to herself as she followed him. "Some city girl probably saw a mouse and freaked out. And for that, I have to miss a good lay."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Colleen was wrong about the mouse. There wasn't one in sight. There was however Jake the security guard from New Orleans lying on the floor. He appeared to be motionless.  
  
Mulder was kneeling next to Jake with Scully right beside him. Scully immediately took over the scene and began checking his vitals.  
  
"Will someone please go into my room and get my medical bag? It is next to the dresser."  
  
Amanda sped up the stairs.  
  
"You're a doctor" Colleen said as she watched the proceedings. "I thought you were a field agent."  
  
"She's both" Mulder answered. He continued when he saw Scully's perplexed look "What can I say, your reputation proceeds you."  
  
She smiled briefly and returned her to attention to Jake. He was breathing but appeared to be having great difficulty doing so. His pulse was also very weak.  
  
Scully turned to Amanda who had just returned with her medical bag. "Are you the one who found him? What did you see?"  
  
"I came around the corner on my way to the lounge when I saw Jake kneeling here holding his neck and trying really hard to breath. If I didn't know better, I would say he was choking. But when I asked him if he had swallowed something, he shook his head 'no'."  
  
Scully nodded and kept checking Jake's vitals. They were getting weaker by the minute.  
  
"Fox" she said "you are certified, right?"  
  
He nodded. "Good, because I think we are going to be needing to do CPR here any minute."  
  
Scully turned to Colleen and asked "Is there anyway to call 911?"  
  
"I am afraid not. We keep a radio here for emergencies like this but it is not working. I think the storm has brought down the antenna."  
  
Scully nodded and looked at Mulder. "I guess we are his best hope then."  
  
Jake stopped breathing a few minutes later and Mulder and Scully went to work on him doing CPR. All the other participants gathered around them to watch as they frantically worked to save Jake's life.  
  
No one noticed Chip standing off slightly to the side smiling to himself. "One down, eleven to go" he said to himself. He looked at his watch. "Probably another one will be gone within the hour."  
  
He quietly left the room to start making tea. Scully called the time of death for Jake 35 minutes later. Frustrated she sat back on her knees and brushed the loose hairs back from her face.  
  
"Colleen, we need something to wrap the body in" she stated grimly. "I would also like to place it somewhere cool until I have a chance to examine it completely. I am not sure, but I think Jake here may have suffered from either a bad allergic reaction or food poisoning."  
  
"Food poisoning" everyone in the group started to mumble to themselves.  
  
Scully stood up and tried to look more positive. "It is probably nothing at all, but I think it wouldn't hurt to try and figure out as much of what Jake did and ate over the past 24 hours."  
  
Colleen looked a bit pale "Okay, I will bring down some extra sheets and you can put him in one of the back rooms. We only use them for storage so there is hardly any heat in there."  
  
Colleen returned with the sheets and Scully and Mulder went about tending to the body while Colleen took everyone in for tea. The group drank in silence while Mulder and Scully plotted out their next moves.  
  
"Shall I give you a hand with him Scully?" Mulder said as Scully secured the sheet around Jake's body. Scully smiled realizing that Mulder was now addressing her not as a fellow member in a team building seminar but as another agent in the field.  
  
"Sure, Mulder I would appreciate it. Also, do you think you could start questioning everyone else about what they ate, what they saw Jake eat etc while I examine the body?"  
  
"No problem"  
  
Mulder and Scully had just managed to place Jake on a table in the back storage room when they heard Scully's name being shouted.  
  
"Dana, Dana where are you?" it was Amanda  
  
"I'm right here. What's the matter?"  
  
"It's Stacy. She is upstairs in the bathroom puking her brains out. She is scared, really scared that what happened to Jake is happening to her too."  
  
Scully dashed up the stairs with Mulder right behind her. She found Stacy pale but conscious leaning her forehead against the toilet seat.  
  
"Stacy. Tell me what's going on."  
  
"I am not sure. All of a sudden I just felt so sick. I ran in here just in time and I think I have thrown up five or six times already. My head is spinning and I feel like my throat is starting to close up."  
  
"Someone get me my bag." Scully ordered before turning back to Stacy. "Stacy, we are going to move you over to your bed so you can be more comfortable. I am going to give you some Benedryl just in case you are having an allergic reaction. If you are, that will help your breathing."  
  
Colleen arrived with Scully's bag and hovered around the room not knowing exactly what to do next. She fetched Stacy a weak cup of tea which she managed to keep down.  
  
After sitting with Stacy for an hour or so, Scully turned to Mulder. "I think she was able to fight off whatever was in her system. We need to find out what, if anything, she and Jake had to eat or drink that was the same."  
  
Mulder nodded and lowered his voice "Do you think there is foul play going on here?"  
  
Scully looked at him "I know this doesn't make sense, but I have a bad feeling about this place and what is going on here. It is almost like we are caught in one of those bad murder mysteries where all the guests get killed off one by one."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks for the feedback keep it coming 


	7. Where Did They Go?

Where Did They Go? - Chapter Seven  
  
Scully pinched in the bridge of her nose in a feeble attempt to stop the headache she felt coming on. It did little good so she stared at the fire roaring in the fireplace trying to give her mind a break.  
  
But she couldn't help but think about what had transpired over the past few hours. One man lay dead and another woman lay in her bed desperately ill.  
  
Why? She had a few thoughts but without the tools of her trade, she was left to only making theories.  
  
"Oh what I would give for my laptop" she muttered to herself as she continued writing her meticulous notes on a legal pad Colleen had supplied her.  
  
She paused from her writing when she heard the door of the library squeak open. Mulder entered the room carrying two glasses of wine.  
  
He smiled as he approached her and offered her a glass. She took it with a grateful smile. "Thanks. I could really use this."  
  
"I thought you might. Have you come up with any theories yet?"  
  
"Not really anything more than we talked about earlier. I did a basic examination of Jake's body and didn't find anything out of the ordinary. We will have to wait to do an autopsy and a tox screen to get more answers."  
  
Scully got up and wandered over to the window still holding onto her wine glass. Outside the snow was still coming down at a good clip.  
  
"Of course, it this weather keeps up, who knows how long we will be trapped up here."  
  
Mulder came up behind her just as she was rolling her head back and forth trying to relieve some of its tension.  
  
"Allow me" he said placing his two hands on her shoulders and slowly rubbing the tension out of them.  
  
Scully tensed for a second, knowing that having a fellow FBI agent massage her shoulders wasn't the best of ideas, but it felt so good. She relaxed and let him continue.  
  
They stayed that way for a minute or two until Scully broke the silence by turning to him. Their eyes locked for a moment and Scully couldn't help but think that if she didn't break the spell quickly she and Mulder would end up in a passionate kiss.  
  
She looked away and moved over to one of the easy chairs sitting in front of the fire. Mulder took the chair across from her.  
  
"Did you manage to talk to everyone else?"  
  
"Everyone except for Chip the waiter. Apparently he had already headed for home."  
  
"And?"  
  
"From what I could tell, there is absolutely no similarity to between what Jake ate and what Stacy ate. She is a strict vegetarian and he liked his meat rare and bloody. The only thing they had in common yesterday was orange juice."  
  
"Practically all of us had juice but we are not sick."  
  
"Looks more like poisoning, doesn't it" Mulder said trying not to think about how beautiful Scully was with the firelight dancing off her features.  
  
They both sat in silence for a minute or two gazing into the fire when Scully said  
  
"What is it Mulder?"  
  
"What is what?"  
  
"You are sitting there looking at me like you want to say something but are afraid to. So what is it?"  
  
Mulder smiled at the ease in which Scully seemed to be able to read his mind after such a short time.  
  
"Well, I was just thinking that you don't seem so Icy to me?"  
  
Scully frowned a minute and then slowly smiled as she figured out his meaning. "Thank you, I think. And the only thing Spooky about you is how you make snowmen."  
  
They both relaxed a bit then Mulder had just about gathered up his nerve to start delving into Scully's personal life when the library door squeaked open and Colleen entered the room.  
  
"There you two are" she said. "Everyone is getting ready to head up to bed and I was hoping you two could give them a bit of a pep talk before they do. They are all pretty nervous."  
  
Scully and Mulder both nodded and got up to follow Colleen from the room. The found everyone gathered in the lounge having a quiet drink trying desperately not to talk about everything that had happened that afternoon.  
  
Scully left Mulder to fill everyone in as she went upstairs to check on Stacy. Mulder had just began to talk, when he heard Scully call his name from upstairs.  
  
"Mulder, I think you had better come up here" Scully called.  
  
Mulder raced out of the room followed by Colleen and practically everyone else. He stopped abruptly at the doorway to Stacy's room he eyes not believing what he saw.  
  
Stacy's bed was empty.  
  
He looked at Scully and raised an eyebrow. "She's gone?"  
  
"Apparently. I have already checked the bathroom. I suggest we all spread out and check the entire house."  
  
Colleen tried to keep her voice calm "I thought she was too sick to move"  
  
"She was"  
  
Mulder quickly organized everyone into searching the house and meeting back in the lounge in ten minutes. Scully went to the back storage room to check on Jake's body.  
  
She opened the door and flipped on the light switch and looked towards the table - it was empty.  
  
Before she could take a step into the room, she heard the loud crack of a tree branch. And then the lights went out.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
keep the feedback coming - it is keeping me motivated! 


	8. A Very Long Night

A Very Long Night - chapter eight  
  
"Snow continuing for at least another 24 hours as the low pressure system seems to have stalled over much of Pennsylvania. Total accumulations anywhere from 18 to 36 inches before the storm is over."  
  
Chip snapped off the Jeep radio and sighed to himself. This snow was making his job much harder than it had to be.  
  
It had been so easy to slip poison to those two people. Unfortunately the female was some sort of health nut whose body had actually been able to hold off the poison.  
  
Chip looked at her, bound and gagged sitting next to him in the car, knowing she would not be so lucky the second time around. He would kill her eventually, but planned on keeping her with him for a while first.  
  
He was a bit lonely down in the cabin. A little female companionship was just what he needed.  
  
About a mile from the main house he stopped the Jeep and got out to open up the back. He tugged and pulled and finally managed to pull Jake's body out. He unceremoniously dumped it by the side of the road.  
  
It would first be covered by snowfall and then by the snowplows. They wouldn't be able to dig out the body until summer.  
  
He got back in the car and turned to Stacy whose eyes were huge in terror.  
  
"You know it was pretty easy to sneak you two out of the house. Those two agents were too busy talking to everyone and taking notes to even notice."  
  
He paused a moment as he worked his way back onto the road. The snow was getting deep and even his Jeep was having a bit of trouble.  
  
"Those two agents are going to cause me a lot of grief. I will have to take care of them next. Once I get rid of them, the rest of them will be like shooting ducks in a barrel."  
  
Stacy started to quietly cry. "Don't worry honey. I like you. I am going to keep you around for awhile. Of course, I like that little redhead too. Maybe I will spend some quality time with her before slitting her throat."  
  
Chip looked out the window and turned his wipers up to a faster speed. The snow was falling quicker now. "I wish this damn snow would stop - it is messing up everything." +++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Scully stood in the doorway of the storage room shaking her head in disbelief. What else could possibly go wrong? She groped through her pockets looking for her ever present flashlight only to realize that it was sitting neatly next to her bed.  
  
"Great" she thought to herself as she slowly started feeling her way along the walls back to the main foyer.  
  
She let out a small shriek as she bumped into someone.  
  
"Scully, is that you?"  
  
She sighed recognizing Mulder's voice. "Yeah, it's me. I only got a glimpse of the room before the lights went out. I think Jake's body is gone too."  
  
Scully thought she heard Mulder nodding his agreement and was a bit surprised when he felt her body looking for her hand.  
  
His touch felt nicer than she wanted to admit right now.  
  
"Come on, we have to try to get back to the lounge"  
  
They proceeded quietly along until they saw a shaft of light heading towards them. It was Colleen.  
  
"There you are" Colleen said when she spotted them. "Here are a couple more flashlights. I am trying to round everyone up and get them into the lounge before anything else freaky happens."  
  
Scully and Mulder both grabbed a flashlight. Mulder went looking for people stranded in the dark, while Scully headed back to the storage room.  
  
Her observation had been correct. Jake's body was indeed gone. From what she could tell, it had been dragged through the door on the opposite side of the room. She would have to wait for daylight to look for any real clues.  
  
Everyone else had gathered back in the lounge when Scully joined them. Colleen had dug out dozens of candles and the room was aglow in a warm light. It would have been a peaceful scene if not for the underlying tension in the room.  
  
Mulder quickly filled everyone in on the disappearances. "Obviously there is some foul play going on here. I think it would be wise if we all stayed together and took shifts watching until morning"  
  
Ray got up and started pacing the room. "Don't take this personally, anyone, but how do we know that one of us isn't doing all of this?"  
  
Mulder paused before answering. "My gut feeling is that someone outside of this group is to blame but to be on the safe side - I think two or three of us should stay up at a time. Does anyone here besides Dana know how to use a weapon?"  
  
Only Ray and Charlie, who worked in accounting, raised their hands. Both had done time in the service.  
  
Suddenly Mulder realized that they were not on an official assignment and turned towards Scully "Dana did you happen to bring your weapon with you?"  
  
"Actually, I brought two. I was on an assignment before coming here."  
  
"Great, then along with mine we have three - unless of course someone else here is packing a weapon."  
  
There were strained smiles as everyone looked nervously around the room at everyone else. Either no one else had a weapon or no one was going to admit to it.  
  
Colleen stood by Mulder and gestured for everyone to be quiet. "We have plenty of camping gear stored in one of the back rooms. I think we should all get a sleeping bag and a pillow and camp out down here. The fire can keep us warm and I think we all agree that we will feel safer being together. Fox and I will take the first watch."  
  
Mulder tried not to look surprised at Colleen's statement. He was secretly hoping that he and Scully would do the graveyard shift. He glanced towards her and saw Scully trying to hide a smirk.  
  
She knew Colleen was after him and seemed to be enjoying watching him squirm.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
It took over an hour for everyone to get settled in and to finally drift off into restless sleep. Colleen positioned herself on the coach and was hoping that Mulder would settle down next to her.  
  
He didn't. He was too full of energy. His mind was slowly starting to work building a profile of the killer as he slowly paced the room.  
  
Colleen watched him go back and forth in front of the fireplace. She was getting a bit frustrated. She had seen how he looked at Scully when he thought no one was watching and she knew that if she was to make her move, it would have to be tonight.  
  
So she waited for her chance to pounce.  
  
Colleen was rewarded about 20 minutes later when Mulder finally stopped his pacing and stood at the window looking outside into the blackness.  
  
Within seconds she was coming up along side him. "When do you think the snow will stop?" she whispered trying not to wake the others.  
  
"I have no idea - I bet we already have a foot of snow out there, if not more. Do you have a vehicle that can handle driving through this?"  
  
"Only the Jeep and Chip took that to get himself home tonight. My little Saturn is useless in this stuff."  
  
"And Chip has all the phones and computers?"  
  
"Yeah. Look, I don't want to bother the others so why don't we go out to the foyer so we can talk easier?"  
  
"Okay" Mulder said so deep in thought that he missed the obvious setting of the trap.  
  
Colleen led him out to the foyer and motioned for him to sit on the loveseat next to her. As soon as he did, she threw herself on him pretending to be distraught by the entire situation.  
  
She cried on him, whimpered and looked at him with big puppy-like eyes trying to get a reaction from him. Mulder began to fall for it and started to comfort her wrapping her in his arms.  
  
She paused for a moment enjoying the feeling and went in for the kill. She pulled his face down and engulfed him in a passionate kiss.  
  
Mulder was surprised at first and tried to resist but Colleen would not relinquish her hold on him. She deepened the kiss and Mulder felt a small twinge in his groin and knew that if he didn't stop immediately, he would be in serious danger.  
  
It took quite an effort, but he pushed Colleen away. She looked at him and whimpered "What's the matter Fox? I think we both could use a little comfort right about now." She pulled away only far enough to maneuver her hand onto his crotch.  
  
Mulder pushed her away and stood up quickly shaking his head. "Colleen I am indeed flattered but this is neither the time nor the place for the kind of comfort you are offering. How would you feel if something happened during our watch?"  
  
"I would feel great if what I wanted to happen, happened."  
  
"Well it's not. Why don't you try to get some sleep. I'll get Dana to stand watch with me."  
  
Colleen was smart enough to know defeat when she saw it. She stood up and stormed back into the lounge throwing herself onto the couch. There was no way she was going to sleep on the floor.  
  
Mulder went over and gently woke up Scully. She awoke with a start reaching for her weapon and only relaxed when she saw Mulder smiling down at her.  
  
"Colleen got a little tired of standing watch. I was hoping you could keep me company."  
  
Scully rubbed her eyes and sat up "Sure" she said her voice deep with sleep. "Just give me a second to pull myself together."  
  
"Okay, I will be out in the foyer"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Scully joined Mulder out in the foyer and sat next to him on the loveseat. Their bodies weren't touching but they were both very much aware of the closeness of the other.  
  
Mulder couldn't help but think of Colleen launching herself at him and wondering if he would have had the same response if Scully had been the one throwing herself at him.  
  
"Nope" he thought to himself "I would have dragged off into another room in an instant"  
  
They spoke briefly about the events of the evening and then fell into a comfortable silence.  
  
When Ray and Charlie came to spell them a few hours later, they found them still sitting in the foyer. Mulder was wide awake keeping watch and Scully was fast asleep gently resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I love reading all the feedback. It keeps me motivated so keep it coming. 


	9. By Morning's Light

By Morning's Light - chapter nine  
  
Everyone was relieved to see the morning light stream through the windows of the lounge. Ray was just finishing up his shift and looked out the window moaning to himself at what he saw.  
  
Snow and lots of it.  
  
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is still snowing like crazy out there."  
  
A collective groan went up from the room as everyone start to stand up and stretch the kinks out of themselves.  
  
Only Colleen seemed to be her cheerful self. "Not to worry everyone. At least we have plenty of firewood and plenty of food. I think I can even scrounge up a cast iron kettle to make coffee."  
  
This statement brought cheers from the group who were happy to have made it through the night alive and ecstatic and that thought of having caffeine too.  
  
Mulder and Scully excused themselves from the group and went back to the storage room to check it out. Scully seemed a bit uncomfortable and finally broke the silence.  
  
"I am sorry about last night."  
  
"Last night?"  
  
"Yeah falling asleep on you - literally - when I was supposed to be helping you keep watch."  
  
Mulder stopped and waited for Scully to stop too. He couldn't help but smile at her. "Don't worry about it. You are actually very cute when you are sleeping - except for when you drool."  
  
Scully looked a bit embarrassed and then realized he was only joking and attempted to glare at him.  
  
"Very funny. But seriously, I will try to do better tonight if we end up having to stay up all night again."  
  
Mulder tried to push the image of keeping Scully up all night out of his mind and starting walking again. "Hopefully we won't have to do that."  
  
"You have a plan?"  
  
"Sort of, I think that someone should try to make their way down to Chip's cabin to either get use of his phone or his car. "  
  
Scully nodded and stopped to open the door to the storage room. As she had suspected, Jake's body was gone and there were definite signs of it being dragged along the floor out the door on the other side of the room.  
  
Mulder and Scully followed the trail and found that it eventually led to a back door near the garage.  
  
"I wonder" Mulder muttered to himself more than to Scully  
  
"Wonder what?"  
  
"Just what the story behind Chip really is."  
  
"You think he is a suspect?"  
  
"Right now I think anyone who seems to be strong enough to drag a 6 foot man out of the house is a suspect. I just want to find out some more information from him. In the meantime, I think we should try to keep everyone out of this section of the house. Sooner or later we should be able to get a forensic team in here to dust for fingerprints. Unless, of course, you brought your evidence kit with you."  
  
Scully smiled at him. "Latex gloves yes, evidence kit no. Guess we will have to wait for reinforcements."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Mulder and Scully headed back towards the kitchen to grab a bowl of cereal and were happy to find Colleen in there alone.  
  
"Colleen, can we ask you a couple of questions about Chip?" Scully asked  
  
"Sure" she mumbled between bites of Frosted Flakes.  
  
"What's his story?" Mulder continued  
  
"I really don't know much about him except that his mother has worked for me for many years - she lives about 10 miles from here - and that she asked me to give him a job when he got out of prison."  
  
Mulder interest was now piqued. "When was that?"  
  
"I don't know. Not that long ago I guess."  
  
"What was he in for?"  
  
"Not sure. But his mother ensured me that it was basically a case of 'boys will be boys' gone bad - figured he probably got caught smoking dope or shop lifting or something like that."  
  
Both Mulder and Scully were silent and she continued. "You don't think Chip had anything to do with what is going on do you? He is nothing but a sweet boy."  
  
"A sweet boy" she thought to herself "that gave her some of the best sex she had ever had." There were definite advantages to sleeping with a man who had just gotten out of prison. Just the thoughts of what he would do to her with his mouth almost made her blush.  
  
Mulder sensed she was hiding something but said nothing more than "Colleen right now everyone is a suspect. I just wanted to get my facts straight. Come on, let's join the others. I want to figure out our battle plan for the day."  
  
When everyone was comfortably settled in the lounge, Mulder told him that he thought that they should send a party out to find Chip's cabin to call for help while the people back at the house worked on getting the emergency radio fixed and making their surroundings more secure.  
  
Everyone agreed that it sounded like a good plan until it came time to choose who would go. Mulder wanted to head out alone stating that it was too dangerous to let anyone else go.  
  
Scully totally disagreed stating that was an incredibly bad idea for someone to head out in a blizzard alone. The rest of the group agreed with her and Ray suggested that both Mulder and Scully go.  
  
"I know Fox you would rather Dana stay back here but as a field agent you know that you never go out on an assignment without someone covering your back. You both are active field agents who are trained in survival tactics. You two are the only ones who can get the job done."  
  
Mulder thought a moment and reluctantly nodded his head. "You're right. Ray, why don't you and Charlie work on securing this house? Colleen do you know how to fix the radio?"  
  
"I do, if she doesn't" Amanda said. "My father has a ham radio and we grew up tinkering on it."  
  
"Great, then everything's settled" Scully said.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mulder and Scully took about 15 minutes to load their gear into a couple of backpacks and dress themselves as warmly as possible. Colleen provided them with a map of how to get to Chip's cabin. On a sunny day it would take a good hiker about an hour or so to get there. Who knew how long it would take them today.  
  
If they could get there at all.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's note: Keep the feedback coming!! 


	10. Are We There Yet?

Are We There Yet? - Chapter 10  
  
Mulder waited for Scully in the foyer of the house. When he saw her coming down the stairs he just had to smile.  
  
She was wearing so many clothes that he could hardly tell it was her underneath them all. He opened his mouth to say something then thought better of it. He wasn't quite sure if now was the time to be teasing her about her small stature.  
  
"Ready Scully?" he asked as she approached him.  
  
"As ready as I will ever be." She turned to Ray and Colleen who were waiting with Mulder in the foyer. "If you haven't heard anything from us by this time tomorrow, you may want to send out another team."  
  
"I am not worried" Colleen said even though her facial expression said otherwise.  
  
"Okay, let's do it" Mulder said opening the door and gesturing for Scully to go first.  
  
Colleen and Ray watched them go through the door and gently shut it behind them. Colleen looked incredibly sad as she hooked her arm through Ray's.  
  
"Ray, I don't know if I can handle this" she started. "I may need some comfort"  
  
And she led him up the stairs.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Scully had been out in snow storms before, but never one as bad as this one. The wind felt like little daggers stabbing at her skin and she could barely keep her eyes open.  
  
Looking up at Mulder she noticed that he too had his head bent down against the wind. He turned to speak to her and had to yell to be heard over the storm.  
  
"Scully. We have to make sure we aren't separated."  
  
She nodded and accepted the hand he extended to her.  
  
Mulder led the way trying his best to plow through the snow to make it easier on Scully and her much shorter legs. It was incredibly slow going and it seemed to take them forever just to get to the main road.  
  
There was a small shelter there, a bus stop probably, and Mulder led Scully inside.  
  
The snow wasn't as deep in there and he was able to clear off the small bench so they could sit down and be somewhat sheltered from the wind.  
  
He looked at Scully and saw little of her face beneath her parka. What he saw was bright pink due to the walking and the wind.  
  
He thought she looked beautiful.  
  
"Scully, this is worse than I thought. Do you want to head back?"  
  
She glared at him and said "No. I can handle it if you can."  
  
They rested a minute before standing up again to continue. "Hey Scully - what do you think about you and me spending some serious time in a hot tub with a bottle of champagne when this case is done?" Although he asked in a teasing way, he was hoping for a positive reaction.  
  
Scully just looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "In your dreams Mulder" she teased back.  
  
Mulder turned her towards him and their eyes met again. They stayed that way for a moment or so before Scully spoke.  
  
"The earlier we get going, the earlier you can try to talk me into that hot tub"  
  
Mulder laughed and took her hand to lead her back out into the snow.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Amanda was busily tinkering with the radio wondering where Colleen had gone off to. She had told her that she was going to see Fox and Dana off and then seemed to have disappeared.  
  
Amanda assumed nothing wrong had happened to her, but considering the events of the past couple of days couldn't help but worry just a little.  
  
She was just getting up to go look for her when Colleen sauntered into the room smiling like the Cheshire cat.  
  
"Where were you?" demanded Amanda.  
  
"Oh Ray and I were just having a private conversation"  
  
Amanda shook her head wondering how Colleen could think about sex when so much was going on around her.  
  
"Well let's get working on this radio"  
  
Colleen tried to wipe the smile off her face and starting working too.  
  
It took an hour or so, but they seemed to have it going. The signal was pretty weak. So weak, that neither thought they would be able to raise the sheriff's office in town but hopefully strong enough to be picked up by someone.  
  
Pleased with their progress, Amanda excused herself to go wash up leaving Colleen to sit by the radio and try to hail someone.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chip was heading towards the bedroom in which he was holding Stacy when he thought he heard the sound of static coming from the library.  
  
He walked into the library looked around and realized that the sound was coming from the old short wave radio sitting in the corner. As he approached it he heard Colleen voices barely above the static.  
  
"Chip, Chip are you there? Chip, please answer!!!"  
  
Chip thought about ignoring Colleen's obvious pleas, but he truly liked Colleen and appreciated what she had done for him - inside and outside of her bedroom.  
  
"Colleen is that you?"  
  
"Oh Chip, thank God I got hold of you. We are in big trouble up here. We need to get the police up here as soon as possible."  
  
Chip's veins turned to ice when he realized that other people could be intercepting their conversation. He knew he would have to get her off the radio as quickly as possible.  
  
"Calm down Colleen. I will be happy to contact the police for you but no one is going anywhere until this storm lets up."  
  
"Chip, you need to try."  
  
"Okay Colleen I will. Let me go so I can make the call."  
  
"Thanks Chip and by the way, keep an eye open for those the agents, Dana and Fox, they are making their way towards you to try and get a vehicle up here." Chip smiled to himself. "How convenient" he thought to himself but to Colleen he calmly responded "Don't worry about them. I will make them a huge pot of coffee and let them take a nice hot shower."  
  
"Wonderful. Thank you Chip. I'll see you soon."  
  
Chip disengaged the radio and sat down in his favorite chair to think. They were coming to him. How perfect. How he would make them suffer. He would enjoy that. He would enjoy her. Perhaps he would even make Fox watch.  
  
The mere thought of all this created quite a commotion in his groin. He didn't think he could wait for Dana to arrive, so he rose out of his chair and headed for the bedroom.  
  
He knew Stacy would come in handy for something.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
It seemed like it took an eternity and the feeling in their legs and feet was practically gone when Mulder and Scully rounded the corner and saw Chip's cabin looming in front of them.  
  
Even though the site of the small cabin with smoke coming out of its chimney seemed innocent enough, Mulder felt a small sense of dread.  
  
He motioned to Scully to pull back with him behind some trees.  
  
"Scully, we really don't know anything about this guy. I think we should split up and enter the house from both sides. If I am wrong about the guy, we apologize. If I'm right he can only get one of us."  
  
Scully nodded her head in agreement. "I will go in first through the front door. Once you have seen me go in, swing around to the back and go through whatever door you find back there. Give me a couple of minutes to flush him out."  
  
"A couple of minutes may be too long"  
  
Scully smiled at Mulder's obvious concern over her well being "I'll be fine Mulder. I can take care of myself."  
  
She gave Mulder one last long look and slowly starting approaching the building, not realizing that Chip was watching their every move through an upstairs window.  
  
She crept up the porch and peered in the windows. Seeing nothing, she slowly opened the door and walked inside.  
  
The last she remembered was the sound of someone hitting her on the back of the neck. Then everything went dark.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Author's note: I really appreciate all the comments. It is keeping me going. 


	11. Going In For The Kill

Going In For The Kill - chapter 11  
  
Mulder knew he was supposed to wait five minutes before entering the house, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so. He couldn't shake the feeling that Scully was in trouble.  
  
He swung wide around the house and spotted a little door leading to a room he assumed was the kitchen. A quick look through the window confirmed this and he silently entered the room.  
  
Seeing now one, he shed his cumbersome coat and gloves and reached for his weapon checking to make sure it wasn't frozen. Luckily keeping it close to his body had done the trick and it was ready to go.  
  
Mulder stood and listened. The house was quiet - too quiet considering he knew that at least one other person should have moving around somewhere.  
  
He slowly crossed the kitchen and started his way through the house - listening very, very carefully.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chip lay Scully on the bed in one of the spare bedrooms and starting stripping her wet and snowy clothes off of her. She hardly moved as he removed one item after another throwing them into a soggy heap in the corner of the room.  
  
When he had stripped her down to her under garments he quickly bound her arms and feet to the bed posts. She was quiet enough now but when she started to come around she would surely put up a fight.  
  
Chip was looking forward to it.  
  
It was only after he had secured her, that he took a second to actually look at her. She was more beautiful than he thought she would be.  
  
Her proportions were perfect and she had more curves than she allowed to show through her baggy clothes.  
  
"Yes, she will do nicely" he thought to himself forgetting for the moment about Mulder. He began to take off his own clothes but unlike Scully's he paused to neatly fold each piece of clothing after he removed them.  
  
The simple action calmed his mind and let him think about all the wonderful things he would do to Scully.  
  
He would make her cry. He would make her scream. And if she pleased him well enough, he would make her come.  
  
It was the least he could do for her before killing her.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Mulder silently moved throughout the house. Going at such a slow pace was killing him but he knew if he rushed and exposed himself that he was exposing Scully to even more danger.  
  
He looked around the living room and the library and found fires roaring in both rooms. A cup of coffee was sitting by one of the easy chairs.  
  
It was still warm which meant he was here somewhere and he probably had Scully.  
  
Mulder gritted his teeth to keep from yelling her name and slowly, quietly walked over to the closed door down the hall from the library.  
  
He put his hand on the doorknob and turned it ever so slowly and ever so quietly. He pushed the door open but an inch and peered inside.  
  
What he saw made his heart sink. The room was dark with only one candle burning on the dresser, but on the bed was a woman. A woman who was obviously hurt and trying very hard not to let her sobs of torment be heard.  
  
"Scully?" Mulder whispered as he pushed open the door another few inches "Scully is that you?"  
  
"I'm St.a.c.y" a small voice whispered. "Is that you Fox?" her sobs grew more defined as she realized that help had finally arrived.  
  
Mulder entered the room and silently shut the door behind him. "Yes Stacy, Scully and I are both here."  
  
"Have you come to save me?"  
  
"Yes, now what I am going to do is untie you so that when the moment comes you will be able to run. I want you to run into the kitchen. My coat and gloves are there. I want you to put them on and get out of the house and meet me in the little shed out back. Do you think you can do that? "  
  
"Y.e.s" Stacy said trying to keep herself from sobbing more. "He has her you know."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Chip, he has Scully. Somehow he knew you were coming and he was waiting for you. He boasted about what he was going to do to you both the last time he." Stacy could bring herself to say the horrible word.  
  
Mulder felt his blood turn to ice. "Where, Stacy? Where would he have taken her?"  
  
"I don't know - there are more bedrooms upstairs I think."  
  
Mulder abruptly turned to leave the room then stopped. He slowly turned around and walked over to Stacy. He cupped her face with one hand "We will get out of this you know. I won't let him hurt you any more. Do you believe that?"  
  
"Yes" she whispered so softly that Mulder could hardly hear her. "Go find her Fox."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Scully could feel nothing except the incredible pounding inside her head. She fought the pain and tried to open up her eyes. When she did, the pain got even worse.  
  
She tried again and all she saw Chip moving her service weapon from one hand to the next trying to get a feel for it. He gently placed on her pile of clothes in the corner and turned his attention back to her.  
  
Scully managed to get out a feeble "Mulder - help!" before he struck her across the face sending her back into the darkness.  
  
"Mulder" Chip thought to himself. "I had totally forgotten about him. I haven't heard him coming into the house yet so I should be able to get in a little loving before shooting him with Dana's gun."  
  
He slowly climbed onto the bed and began toying with Scully's breasts.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Mulder was just making his way up the stairs when he heard Scully's weak scream. He bolted up the stairs two at a time and began running down the hall checking each door as he went.  
  
"Hold on Scully" he said out loud while hoping against hope that he wasn't too late.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chip had slowly climbed on top of Scully and was about to truly mount her when he heard the sounds of footsteps down the hall.  
  
He jumped off the bed with considerable ease considering his boxer shorts were down around his knees. He stood behind the door and waited.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Mulder had almost run out of doors when he found one locked. He banged the door screaming "Scully" and when he got no response he began throwing himself against the door. Again and again he threw himself. He shoulder was starting to ache from the abuse, be he didn't stop.  
  
Finally the door flew open. There in front of him strapped to the bed was Scully. She was clearly unconscious but he couldn't tell from where he was standing if she had been more seriously hurt.  
  
He stepped towards the bed for a closer look and Chip saw his chance. He attacked Mulder from behind sending him sprawling across the room in one direction with his gun going in another.  
  
Mulder landed with a grunt and hauled himself back up. His shoulder was throbbing in pain. Mulder ignored it and lunged himself at Chip.  
  
Both men clung to each other exchanging punches. Both trying to reach Mulder's gun first.  
  
The sounds of the fighting men drew Scully out of her stupor. She slowly came to but it took her a second or two to wrap her mind around what was going on.  
  
She was half naked strapped to a bed and Mulder and Chip appeared to be in fight to the death. She gasped when she realized what was going on.  
  
At the sound Mulder turned his head and Chip seized the moment to blow past him and pick up the gun.  
  
"Don't move a muscle" Chip panted as he pointed the gun at Mulder. "One move and I will kill you first and that pretty little thing second."  
  
Mulder glared at Chip but didn't move. His mind was too busy studying his options. Behind Chip Scully was frantically thrashing around the bed trying to loosen her bonds.  
  
Chip walked backwards towards the dresser next to Scully and opened up a drawer. He felt around a little bit and pulled out a small flask.  
  
He rolled it towards Mulder. "Open it up and take a whiff or two"  
  
"What is it?" Scully demanding cursing Chip for blocking her view.  
  
"Just something that will take the fight out of him. Nothing too long lasting. Just long enough so I can tie him up."  
  
"Mulder, don't do it - it could be some sort of poison."  
  
"Do it now" Chip demanded as he cocked Mulder's gun "or I will turn around and shoot her in the head before you are halfway to me."  
  
Mulder looked at him and saw by the madness raging in his eyes, that he would have no trouble keeping his threat.  
  
He picked up the flask, opened it and took a couple of long whiffs. Whatever was in the flask smelled sickly sweet and made his head spin so much he had to sit down.  
  
He didn't pass out, but he lacked the energy to move. He did nothing as Chip walked over to him and expertly bound his hands behind him and his feet in front of him.  
  
"Don't worry" he said to Scully as he put down the gun and headed over to the bed "he won't miss the good part. I will just amuse myself until he comes out of it and then he can watch while I take you on the ride of your life."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Mulder's head was spinning out of control and he was dreaming a terrible dream. A dream where Scully was in danger and he was unable to help her. All he could was watch.  
  
Scully looked over at Mulder trying to focus on him and not the horrible creature that was proceeded to rub himself all over her body. Mulder sat there with his eyes closed thrashing his head back and forth as if trying to drive a demon from his mind.  
  
The thrashing finally stopped and Mulder slowly opened his eyes and in them Scully saw nothing but pure horror at what he was witnessing.  
  
Their eyes met and that brought them a moment of peace before Chip stopped his suckling and noticed that Mulder was awake.  
  
"Ah, we have been waiting for you, haven't we my dear?" Chip reached past Scully head and pulled a condom out of the dresser drawer. "I know it isn't very romantic but one can't be too careful" he said as he slowly unrolled the latex.  
  
Scully shut eyes as hard as she could and prepared herself for his painful entry. She held her breath as she felt him get into position. Closer, closer he was almost there when a single shot rang out in the room.  
  
Chip fell on top of her the dead weight of his head colliding with hers and knocking her out.  
  
Mulder had adverted his eyes too when he saw Chip start to mount Scully. He just couldn't bring himself to witness her being violated. His eyes flew open when he heard the shot and he thought that Chip had killed Scully instead of raping her.  
  
He was wrong.  
  
In the doorway stood Stacy still holding the gun steady, ready to shoot again.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Author's note: keep that feedback coming - I love it! I am going to try and finish this story up tonight so check back later! 


	12. Can Someone Tell Me What Happened That N...

Can Someone Tell Me What Happened That Night? - Chapter 12  
  
Scully felt herself fighting to regain consciousness. She could have sworn she heard the voices of her mother and Mulder. But that was impossible - they had never even met. She knew she must have been dreaming and let herself sleep.  
  
When Scully finally found the strength to open her eyes, she found her mother sitting next to her bed quietly knitting. Scully just stared at her a moment savoring the fact that she was indeed safe.  
  
She tried to talk but found her voice was weak and sounded like gravel. "Mom?"  
  
"Welcome back darling" Maggie Scully said bending over to kiss her daughter's forehead. "You had me worried there for a little while."  
  
"I thought I was dreaming. I thought I heard you talking to Mulder." Scully murmured realizing that she probably wasn't making any sense.  
  
"You mean Fox, dear? What a nice young man. He wouldn't leave your side a minute until I got here. And even then it took me an hour to convince him to go back to the hotel to take a shower."  
  
"Hotel? Where am I?"  
  
"In Pittsburg honey. They flew you down here with Fox and that other woman Stacy as soon as the storm stopped."  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
"Stacy is in a room down the hall. I know she wanted to visit with you as soon as you woke up."  
  
"And Mulder?"  
  
Maggie looked a bit uncomfortable but answered none the less. "As I said before, Fox was flown in here with the two of you girls. Other than a severely dislocated shoulder he was fine. He sat by your bedside as long as he could but finally his superior came up from DC and took him home."  
  
Maggie couldn't help but notice the look of disappointment in Scully's eyes. "He wanted to stay honey, but they wouldn't let him. I guess they thought that four days was plenty of time."  
  
"Four days!"  
  
"Yes, apparently you took quite a few severe blows to the head. We weren't sure exactly how much damage there was."  
  
Scully was about to ask her mother some more questions when there was a slight knock on the door. Scully looked up to see Stacy standing in the doorway trying to decide if she was interrupting something.  
  
"Stacy" Maggie said getting up from her chair. "I was just going to go downstairs to get some coffee. Why don't you keep Dana company until I return"  
  
And with that she left the room and Stacy took her spot next to the bed. "Is your mother always so good at handling people?"  
  
"Yeah. How are you Stacy?"  
  
"Despite that jerk using me to relieve his sexual urges, I'm fine."  
  
"Oh Stacy, I'm so sorry." Scully took Stacy's hand and squeezed it.  
  
The two women sat in silence both knowing what needed to be said next and neither wanting to broach the subject.  
  
Finally Scully could stand it no longer "Tell me what happened Stacy."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Stacy took a deep breath and stood up and began to pace. She didn't want to think about anything that happened in that cabin, but she knew that Scully needed to know the truth so that someday she could put it all behind her.  
  
"I was being held in a room off of the library" she began "that is where Fox found me. He untied me and told me that he would make sure that nothing more would happen to me. He was desperately worried about finding you but took the time to comfort me and make me feel a little bit like a person again."  
  
Scully smiled a little encouraging her to continue.  
  
"He left the room to look for you and a minute or so later I heard you scream for him. I knew that I would be safer hiding out in the room, but I just couldn't do it. You two had been there for me and I knew it was my chance to be there for you."  
  
She sat down for a minute and poured herself a glass of water. After drinking it she went on  
  
"I saw Mulder go into the room where Chip was holding you. So I quietly went down the hall and stood outside the door listening and waiting for an opportunity to help."  
  
"I heard Mulder and Chip fight and then what I assumed was you gasping. From what Chip was saying, I knew that he thought he had the upper hand on Mulder. He was so distracted by talking to the two of you that he didn't notice me opening the door a crack."  
  
"That is when I saw your weapon sitting on a pile of clothes about a foot away from the door. I waited for my opportunity and then took it."  
  
Scully didn't know what to say and for a couple of minutes both women sat in silence. "But Stacy you took him down in only one shot. I don't mean to offend you, but the average person can't do that."  
  
Seeing Scully perplexed brought a smile to Stacy's face. "You are right an average person probably couldn't do that, but a former member of the Special Forces can."  
  
"Special Forces? I didn't know you were a field agent too."  
  
"I'm not. I did enough missions to last me a lifetime. I wanted to help my country but stay away from the violence. Guess it didn't work too well, huh?"  
  
Stacy then filled Scully in on how she had untied Mulder and how he had immediately called the local authorities. Luck was on their side since the storm was in the process of ending when Mulder placed the call.  
  
Both she and Mulder had been worried sick about Scully. They tried frantically to revive her but realized that she had taken too many blows to the head. Stacy had dressed her while Mulder placed the calls but after that, he had not left her side.  
  
They had been airlifted to the hospital in Pittsburg where the doctors had quickly set Mulder's shoulder, attended to Stacy's wounds and monitored Scully's progress.  
  
"I should be released tomorrow" Stacy said. "I can't wait to go home and try to forget that this week ever happened."  
  
"I know what you mean" Scully said. She didn't want to remember the week either - except maybe for Mulder and how nice it had felt holding his hand.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Two months later  
  
Mulder checked his tie for the 100th time as he raised his hand to knock on the door. He didn't know why he was so nervous.  
  
Sure it had been two months since they had laid eyes on each other, but Mulder was pretty certain of her feelings when they were up in the Pennsylvania mountains. Feelings, that he hoped, were still around.  
  
"What if she met another man since then" he thought to himself "I am probably making a huge mistake showing up on her door unannounced. A woman as beautiful as her is probably busy entertaining someone this time of night."  
  
He sighed a big sigh and turned around to leave. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice that he had left behind the bottle of wine he had put down by the door to straighten his tie.  
  
He just headed home to be alone. Again.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Mulder sat comfortably on his couch in his sweatpants watching an old Knicks game on ESPN Classic when he heard a knock on the door.  
  
He wasn't expecting anyone but he thought it may have been one of his buddies from the Lone Gunmen showing up to play some cards.  
  
He opened the door without looking through the peephole and his mouth dropped open when he saw who it was.  
  
"I think you left this at my place. Thought you might want it back. Can I come in?"  
  
"Sure. How did you know I was there?"  
  
"In my line of work, you learn to observe everything going on around you." She saw the puzzled look on Mulder's face and continued. "This looks like a good bottle - shall we sample it?"  
  
Mulder merely nodded and gestured to her to sit on the couch while he went and got two wines glasses. He poured the deep red wine into each glass and they lifted their glasses in a silent toast.  
  
"What's wrong. You're so quiet. Shall I leave?" she didn't sound so confident now.  
  
Mulder voice sounded just a bit panicked "No. Please don't leave."  
  
Scully smiled and sipped her wine.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's note. Well that's it. I hope you liked it. I am going to take a couple of days off to read other people's stories and then, perhaps, I will start another one.  
  
Any suggestions on what that one should be about? 


End file.
